The Wrong Flowerpot
by SillyAndSirius
Summary: It's the usual story: Lily, James and the rest of the Marauders are in their 6th year at Hogwarts. Theres just one little twist: Lily and Remus are dating. Don't worry, everything will work out all right in the end... right? [COMPLETE]
1. Default Chapter

I tried to be original, but since I haven't read too many Lily and James stories, I didn't realize that this wasn't that new of a topic until I told my friend about it and she told me that it was kind of old. Well, hope you like it! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Ch. 1 Breakfast Adventures  
  
Lily sighed. She had been sleeping so well, why did she have to wake up?! She struggled out of bed and got ready for school. She was ecstatic to finally be back at Hogwarts, but there were some things that she wasn't that fond of. For instance: that git, James. It was almost as though his complete life's objective was to annoy the hell out of her, and he did quite a good job at it as well. His friends were nearly as bad, but not Remus. He seemed to actually have a brain somewhere within the depths of his head, and sometimes it even showed. It had been just the day before, as soon as they had arrived at Hogwarts, and James was just about to start harassing Severus Snape, when Remus told him that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Lily figured that it was just because there were so many people around and they would almost certainly get caught and punished, but she still admired it. Remus seemed to always be rescuing James and the rest of the Marauders (as they called themselves) from trouble. She was sure that if it wasn't for him, they all would have been expelled ages ago. She headed downstairs and into the Common Room when, speak of the Devil, appeared James. "Hello Lily, and how are you this morning?" asked James, turning around and following Lily, who had managed to dodge around him and head towards the portrait hole. She quickened her pace but soon, realizing that it was of no use, slowed down and answered James. "Fine, thank you." she stated curtly. "What, you don't want to know how I am?" said James, putting on a mock- offended voice. Lily didn't answer, but continued to walk. James decided not to wait for a reply, but continued on. "I'm doing fabulous. Don't you just love Hogwarts? It's always full of surprises; you never know what's coming up next. Take the moving staircases for instance. You could be just about to set your foot down on one of the stairs, and then it decides to move, and you go plunging downward through the gap to your death." He let out a dramatic gasp here. "Don't you agree?" Yes, but, do you mind? I'd like to go eat breakfast with my friends." she said coldly. By this time they had entered the Dining Hall, and it was obvious that she would like to get away from James as soon as possible. Right about then Remus jumped up and ran towards them. "He's really not that bad," Lily thought, and then quickly pushed the thought out of her head, realizing what she was thinking. "Hello, Lily," he said. "Hello," Lily replied, and, noticing the silence, said, "Excuse me. I was just about to go sit down." James watched Remus as he gazed wistfully at Lily. Was it his imagination, or was he checking her out? "So, what's up, Moony?" James said, breaking Remus' trance. "Oh, I was just coming over to tell you that Sirius and Peter are acting a little weird, so be careful," he said, glancing quickly at Lily. "Thanks" replied James, and went over to where Sirius was talking to a pretty 7th year. Her name was Mary Halkes, and she was very high-class, guy wise. Some even claimed she was part veela, but James didn't think so; he had never been enchanted by her, although it did seem to have that effect on other men. As soon as he walked up to the table he could hear Sirius going on about the time he had saved the Quidditch game when he had rescued the Quaffle from the hands of a grimy Slytherin and, as he had been falling off of his broom, managed to make it into one of the hoops. (He failed to mention the point that James had won the game.) And Peter stared transfixed at her, and it looked as though he was never going to be able to stop. On the other hand, Remus sat eating his fried tomatoes and toast as though nothing unusual was happening to Sirius or Peter, and James decided to follow his lead.  
  
Lily sat down in between her two best friends, Sally Laindy and Candy Brooks. They continued to stare behind her for a few moments and then turned around, looked at each other, and started to giggle. "What?" said Lily. "Well, it looks like James isn't the only one of the Marauders who likes you!" said Sally quietly. "Yeah, you should have seen the way Remus was staring at you!" said Candy. Lily turned red but didn't reply. She didn't like to talk about this type of thing in public, especially about James Potter, and now, his friends; that's why they were being so quite. "I swear, if I had either of those guys after me, I would go crazy! I am just so jealous!" Candy exclaimed, a little bit louder than she should have. "Shhh! We'll talk about this later!" Lily said, getting a little angry. Sally and Candy sighed, but they didn't say anything about it the rest of breakfast. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ WELL?!!! How was it?!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review!!! I really need that boost for the FanFiction part of my self-esteem (And ego). I know that its pretty boring right now, but I PROMISE that it will get spicier later! 


	2. An Explosion in the Common Room

NOTICE: IF THE PARAGRAPHS ARE ALL SQUASHED TOGETHER, ITS NOT ME, ITS FANFICTION. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO FIX THIS, PLEASE TELL ME IN A REVIEW!  
  
Well, I'm gonna try to make this chapter more interesting. Don't worry, Lily and James will hook up eventually! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ch. 2: An Explosion in the Common Room  
  
As they walked to Charms class Sally and Candy started questioning Lily about who she liked more. She continually told them to shut-up, but it was no use; once they got started on something, they wouldn't stop until they really had to. Finally Professor Flitwick started his lecture on what they would be learning this year, and they were quiet; they knew how interested Lily was in charms.  
  
On the other side of the classroom the Marauders were sitting, ignoring their teacher, as usual. James and Remus threw occasional glances at Lily while Sirius made paper balls and Peter stared at him. James wondered why Remus looked like he liked Lily. Before summer break, he hadn't been interested in her at all, and now he was always goggling at her; had she really changed that much over summer, or had he. Plus, he knew that James was going after her at the moment and, no offense to Remus, but he figured that he probably had a larger chance with her than he did. Wasn't too much good a bad thing? (If you're slow, I mean that Remus and Lily are both good, and James is saying that that might be a bad thing)  
  
He decided to take out his snitch and stop thinking about it so much; it would turn out all right in the end, it always did.  
  
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Lily sat taking notes, and was finished before everyone else. She glanced over at James and Remus. James was playing with his snitch underneath his desk, (show-off) and Remus was staring at his shoes, apparently deep in thought. He looked up and their eyes met. They stayed locked for a few moments, but then Lily jerked away as Professor Flitwick started up again.  
  
"As you can see if you turn to page 134 in your text books, the Oasder- Pickardee spell is quite a complicated process," he said.  
  
Lily glanced up to see that Remus had resumed his staring, and continued taking her notes. What had that strange flutter around her heart been? Did she really like one of the Marauders?  
  
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That night Sally, Candy, and Lily sat down in a quiet corner of the Common Room and Lily was immediately bombarded by questions.  
  
"So, who would you date if you could?" questioned Sally.  
  
"I think that you should go and confront them!" added Candy.  
  
"Well I think that you guys are more interested in this than I am. If Remus does like me, he'll come and tell me eventually, and I don't really care whether he does or not." Lily stated simply.  
  
"Oh, Lily, we know that you care! We saw the way you were checking them out in Charms today! Will you just admit it!" exclaimed Sally, who was obviously getting frustrated.  
  
Lily sighed and said, "Well, if I had to go out with one of them, I think that it would probably be Remus. But not because I like him, just because he actually has some brains." she added hastily as she saw the look on her friends faces.  
  
"Ooooooooooooh! Lily has a crush!" Candy cooed.  
  
"And who might that be?" said James, who had waltzed over, unseen.  
  
The look on Lily's face was of complete and utter horror. Had he heard?  
  
"Could it be your night in shining armor, moue? If it is, then Lily dear, you are welcome to come up to my dormitory and snog me anytime you want!" said James.  
  
The look on Lily's face went from horror to anger in about a split second. She jumped up and exclaimed, "For your information, James Potter, it is not you! He is not a disgusting slimy git that only wants a good snog and a roll around in a bed with a girl and then diss her! And he actually has a bit of a brain!" After this she glared at him for a moment, and then bounded up the stairs, and a loud bang was heard as she slammed her door.  
  
"Does she always get upset that easily?" James questioned weakly.  
  
"No, sorry about that. But I never get angry, that's the perfect kind of girl, don't you think. You know what? We should go to Hogsmeade-" candy said, but was cut of by Sally, who was dragging her away.  
  
"Was that weird, or what?" James said as they disappeared up the staircase.  
  
"Yeah it was pretty weird. Now, can we please finish this game of chess? I'm gonna forget how to play soon if you don't hurry up." Sirius drawled.  
  
James went and sat down to finish his game, wondering what in the world had just happened.  
  
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So, how was it? And remember, if you know how to fix my little 'Paragraph Problem', please tell me ASAP! You can write it in a review! I could use those too!!! 


	3. The Costume Contest

I hoped you liked the last chapter! I need some more ideas! PLEASE give  
them to me!  
  
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Ch 3 The Costume Contest  
  
The year started to pass by quickly, (Lily's filled with annoying  
conversations with her head about James and Remus), and soon everyone's  
minds were on the Halloween Feast. There was rumor that there was going  
to be a contest for best dressed, and they ALL wanted to win.  
  
The weekend before Halloween there was a Hogsmeade trip scheduled so  
that everybody could get their costumes. Lily and her friends had all  
decided to help each other pick out their costumes, and they all agreed  
that Lily's was the best.  
  
The Marauders had done a similar thing, but they couldn't decide whose was better: James' or Remus'.  
  
*  
  
On the day of Halloween classes were let out a few hours early so that the students could get ready for the contest. Lily's friends spent at least an hour on just her make-up, and her hair took another 45 min. They just threw on all of their costumes because they knew that Lily was surely going to win.  
  
The students came into the great hall in little groups, and were surprised to see that the professors had dressed up, too. Dumbledore was a muggle toaster, McGonnagle was a cat, and so on. The hall was decorated as usual, with 10 glowing pumpkins, bats flying around the ceiling, and black and orange decorations all over the place.  
  
Everybody was there but a few places were missing. The marauders walked in and gained a few gasps and giggles from the rest of the students.  
  
Peter was a rat, (To match his animagus form and his personality) Sirius was a bright yellow duck, Remus was a vampire that mad him look very handsome, and James was a pirate, which accentuated his dark features.  
  
As soon as everyone had settled done, Lily's friends entered, and then they ushered Lily in.  
  
She looked beautiful. She had decided to be a fairy, and the dark green dress that came with it made her eyes stand out. Her friends had put on glitter all over the place, and she had even done a spell to make her wings flap slowly like a butterfly's when it rests on a flower. Her hair was done into and intricate bun, with many different twists and twirls.  
  
"Wow." said James while staring at her. Remus did the same, but he couldn't say anything.  
  
She sat down and the food popped up from within the table, and everyone dug in.  
  
Once everybody was done, Dumbledore stood up and said, "Now, as you all know, we are having a costume contest. There will be one male and one female winner. Our finalists are: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Mary Lambs, Meredith Jones, and Lily Evans. If you will all come to the front, please."  
  
Sirius jumped up and ran to the front, followed by the rest of the contestants.  
  
"You all may be wondering how we are picking our winners, but it is really very easy. We have done a spell that will read your minds for who you think should win, and they will all show up on this platter." Dumbledore said, holding up the platter as he spoke.  
  
Eventually, all the contestants were eliminated except for Lily, James, Remus, and Meredith.  
  
"And our winners are. Lily Evans and. there seems to be a tie for our male first place winner! I guess that Lily will have to have two winning dances!"  
  
Lily gasped and blushed. She hadn't known that she was going to have to dance with the other winner! A light music began to play and the tables disappeared, leaving a perfect dance floor. Students began to flow onto it and she felt a light tap on her shoulder.  
  
She turned around to see James in a very low bow.  
  
"May I have this dance?" he questioned.  
  
Lily sighed. "Yes, I suppose."  
  
He took her out onto the dance floor and began to slowly move her back and forth. She looked up at him. His costume really did make him look handsome, even more than usual.  
  
"What am I thinking?!" she thought to herself. "I never thought he was handsome! But he is being romantic tonight."  
  
She buried herself deeper into his shoulder, and he didn't say a word. Inside his heart was glowing, but he would never show it.  
  
At the end of the song there was another tap on her shoulder, and Remus requested a dance. She was actually sorry to leave James, but she knew she had to.  
  
Remus swept her out onto a different part of the floor, and she soon forgot about James. She gazed into his eyes and saw that they were a beautiful shiny blue, with flecks of a light green. Before she knew it, their lips had met and she was being sucked into a different world. To her surprise, she remembered James, and the way she had danced with him, and the way her head had fit so perfectly into his shoulder, and the way it had made her feel. and before she knew what she was doing she had broken off. (Of the kiss. duh!)  
  
"Sorry" Remus mumbled, staring at his shoes. Lily didn't know what to do. She had enjoyed the kiss, but why had she felt guilty about James. She looked at Remus and kissed him, pushing the thought of James out of her head.  
  
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Sorry if that seemed kinda short, and I'm sorry about how long it took me to update. I hope you liked it. (And don't worry, Lily and James will eventually get together=)) Thanx to GlitterGreen for her help on my costumes! And no, I didn't copy her idea about Lily being a fairy. I wrote that part before her seventh chapter and I thought that she was going to make Lily an angel. PLEASE tell me if you liked it!! Sorry, I can't hear you. Nope, a little louder. Still can't hear you, so maybe you should just write me a review and tell me! Sounds good to me! Thanx!! 


	4. Romance and fighting in the air

Hello my FanFiction fans!!! hehe I'm super sorry about the really really long wait for an update!! I was on a break from FF.net for a while. Hopefully I will be back in full force! I had to re-read this whole story, and I don't remember what grade they were supposed to be in! If anybody has any clue, please tell me! I know this sounds really pitiful. well, it is really pitiful, but I need your help! But I'm pretty sure they're in their sixth year. Anyways, on with the show!  
  
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After the dance with Remus, Lily walked over to her friends who seemed to be dieing with delight and trying desperately to keep their squeals from leaving their mouths. Unfortunately, they were unable to hold it in any longer and started jumping up and down and gibbering on about "how romantic" Lily had looked kissing Remus. On the other side of the room, Remus was not getting such a warm welcome.  
  
*  
  
Remus walked over to where the rest of the Marauders were sitting, earning some smiles and some glares.  
  
"Well done, Mooney! I had no idea you were going after Evans!" said Sirius, trying to lighten up the mood as James gave Remus looks that would kill any normal person.  
  
"Yes, good job, mate!" said Peter, following Sirius' lead.  
  
"Heh, thanks." Remus replied with a nervous laugh.  
  
Sirius and Peter looked at James expectantly, who started to examine his fingernails.  
  
"OW!" exclaimed James as Sirius kicked him underneath the table.  
  
Remus sat down and looked at James. "Look Prongs, I'm really sorry. Its just that. well, I don't know, but-"  
  
"Oh you knew perfectly well, Remus" interrupted James. Remus winced at being called his real name; the Marauders only used nicknames when around each other. " I've seen the way you stare at her, the way your always watching her walk away. You knew I liked her! You knew I'd been trying to get her to like me since FIRST YEAR! I thought you would be more polite then to just go and take her like that!"  
  
"Well I'm sorry that I can't control my feelings, James! I'll think about you the next time I fall in love, and make sure that you haven't already 'taken her!'" Remus replied. Sirius and Peter stared in disbelief at Remus' explosion; he never acted this way. He was calm, cool, Remus. James said nothing, just glared at Remus for a moment, then stalked off, flinging the doors to the Great Hall open, attracting the attention of many of the students.  
  
Remus sighed and looked up at his remaining friends. They gave him comforting looks, and finally Sirius spoke up.  
  
"Look, Mooney, you did the right thing. You followed your instincts. Now go ask your girl for another dance!"  
  
Remus smiled and stood up. He walked over to where Lily and her friends were having a conversation, filled with giggles and gasps.  
  
"Er, excuse me, but I was wondering if I could have this dance?" he said, and immediately the girls stopped talking.  
  
"It would be a pleasure," said Lily. Remus bent down and kissed her hand. "The pleasure is all mine," he said, his breath tickling her hand slightly.  
  
They walked out onto the dance floor and began dancing to and fro, Lily's head resting gently on his shoulder.  
  
Lily raised her head. "What was that argument you and James had about?" Lily asked, although her and her friends had been discussing it, and she had a guess as to what the answer would be.  
  
"You." Remus stated simply.  
  
She had been right.  
  
"Oh," said Lily, "I see."  
  
"It was nothing," said Remus, laying her head into his shoulder once more.  
  
So Lily thought nothing more of it.  
  
*  
  
Lily and Remus were inseparable the whole rest of the night, and when it was time for everyone to go to bed, he walked her back to the Common Room. They stood at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, not wanting to go their separate ways.  
  
"Lily?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Umm. I was just wondering. its ok if you don't want to, but. I was just wondering if maybe you would be my girlfriend." said Remus, ready for the impact of a no.  
  
"Of course, Remus!" Lily said, and soon nailed a very surprised Remus with a very long kiss.  
  
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Well?!!! How was my return to FanFiction?!! Juicy, eh? hehe PLEASE review! I need to know if you missed me! Lol And incase you didn't notice, the whole night was actually a dance. They couldn't just let three students have all the fun, now could they?!! hehe 'Till next time folks!! 


	5. Quidditch

Hello again! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! I want more reviews for this one though!! Puuuuleeease!! Enjoy!  
  
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Ch. 5: Quidditch  
  
The days after Halloween Lily and Remus were always together. You might see them studying together in the library, or walking together on the school grounds, but it seemed like strangers were seeing them just as often as their actual friends. All of their friends were grieving except, of course, James. But they were all happy, except, of course, James.  
  
The first Quidditch game of the season was quickly approaching. (Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor.) On the morning of the game the halls were abound with students having detailed discussions of which team would win. Most bets were on Hufflepuff, because of their star seeker, Amos Diggory. Little did they know that the Gryffindor team had done a bit of training over the summer.  
  
When the Hufflepuff team entered the field, the crowd exploded with cheers, the opposite of when the Gryffindor team walked out, only earning a few weak hoots.  
  
"Players, mount your brooms," said the new referee, Madame Hooch. She blew her whistle and the players took off.  
  
"And Gryffindor is off to a good start, scoring the first goal. They must have done some practicing over the summer, or I'll eat my wand!" Mike Jordan, the announcer, exclaimed.  
  
"Ohh, and that was a bludger, tossed by John Gordon. Oooo, but Sirius Black got some revenge for that one!" he said as Sirius grabbed a beaters club and swung a bludger at Mike.  
  
The game continued on in this type of fashion for quite some time. Gryffindor was losing by 30 points when James pelted towards an indistinct point on the other side of the field. Amos saw this and followed his lead. They were neck and neck, careening towards the snitch. James reached his hand out and wrapped his fingers around the tiny ball, when out of nowhere a speeding bludger hit him right on his head. He fell of his broom and plummeted 30 feet towards the ground. A loud thump echoed throughout the quiet stadium. Suddenly Lily jumped up and ran towards him.  
  
"Oh my God, what have I done?!! It's all my fault!" she thought, tears streaming down her face. "What if I never get to tell him how I feel?"  
  
She kneeled down beside him, quickly followed by Madame Hooch and the two teams. His eyes flickered slightly, opening a small bit.  
  
"I won Lily. I won for you." He whispered before passing back into unconsciousness. Soon people surrounded him and Lily was left gaping after him, wondering what had just happened.  
  
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Ooooo! The juicy-ness is overwhelming!! Hehe. I think I like this chapter. And if you do too you will show me your love and appreciation by writing me a nice, loooong review! (Well, even if you HATE it you can still right me a nice fireball) Ok? I'm so glad you agree! Ta ta for now! 


	6. Mixed Signals

Hello again! Since I got 2 WHOLE reviews, I decided to write another chappie for all those waiting fans. Do not worry, I feel your pain! I shall write faster from now on. Anyways, I got a review last time saying that the last chapter sempt kinda rushed. It was sorta meant to be that way. Don't worry, it should all work out in this chapter. Enjoy!  
  
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Ch.6 Mixed Signals  
  
James opened his eyes to find himself in a foggy forest. He didn't recognize anything, so he knew it must be somewhere strange. He began walking forward into the great mass of trees, choosing not to go backwards, where it looked much darker. As he walked along the trees around him seemed to stare at him, daring him to go forward more.  
  
After walking along for some time there was a sudden movement to his right, causing him to jump. He looked around but saw nothing. His heart began beating against his chest, and the uncomfortable feeling of dread began to sweep over his body. There were less and less trees around him and the light sound of running water began to fill his ears.  
  
He walked into a large clearing surrounded on three sides by a small stream. He turned around to look back down the path he had just walked upon, to find that trees were already beginning to bar the way. An electric prickling moved slowly up his spine, causing all his hair to stand on end. When he turned back around, Lily stood in front of him in a long sweeping green dress.  
  
"Lily?" he said, and she nodded her head. She walked towards him and stood close to him. Her lips caressed his, and just as he was going to pull her into his arms she looked up, fear written all over her face.  
  
"What is it?" he questioned. She pointed down a newly made path. He looked down it but saw nothing but darkness. Suddenly he heard many horses galloping towards them.  
  
"Run Lily!! Run!!" he yelled. Lily followed his directions and took off down a path to his left. He watched her run away, and then looked down the other path, awaiting the riders.  
  
There was a rush of wind and a large black horse road up beside him, his rider a cloaked man. He got off the horse and stood before James.  
  
"Come with me." He said.  
  
"I will never join your disgusting 'deatheaters.'" James spat.  
  
"Then suffer the consequences," said the man.  
  
James felt a blinding pain take over his body. He staggered to the ground, where he heard a cruel laugh, followed by somebody's voice, Lily's, screaming.  
  
"HARRY!!!"  
  
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James sat up, panting. He felt a sharp pain in his head and immediately layed back down.  
  
"He's awake! He's awake!!" he heard Sirius saying in a singsong voice.  
  
"And that means its time for you to leave," said Madame Pomphrey.  
  
James opened his eyes and looked at Madame Pomphrey who stood beside him pouring a certain green substance into a spoon. She turned around and shoved it under his nose.  
  
"Take this, quickly, but don't cough it back up, whatever you do." She said.  
  
James followed her orders, although they were rather hard, seeing as the medicine tasted like Robitussin, eggs, and rotten cheese combined into one delightful meal.  
  
Once he could control himself from throwing it all back up he dug deep into his thoughts, trying to remember what had happened before the. dream.  
  
"What happened to me?" he finally questioned after digging through his memory banks to no avail.  
  
"You fell off of your broom, 30 feet, to the ground." She explained.  
  
"Ahh, yes. I remember now." He said as the unpleasant experience came flooding back to him. He could remember no further than when Lily had knelt beside him. But had that been a dream too?  
  
"I suppose you would like to see your admirers?" she said, pointing to a large stack that consisted of assorted candies.  
  
"How long have I been asleep for?" he asked, eyeing the humungous pile of sweets.  
  
"A week."  
  
"WHAT?!! A whole week?!"  
  
"I'm afraid so. You got hit pretty hard."  
  
"O well," thought James, "at least I missed Charms." He picked up a box of Fried Fangs, his favorite, and looked at the gift tag. It read: Love, Lily.  
  
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Later on the day, James sat on his bed, surrounded by the Marauders. His tower of candies had shrunk to a small pile, and the floor was littered with many brightly colored wrappers.  
  
"You should have seen the way you grabbed that snitch! It was amazing!!" said Remus. (Him and James had evidently made up, without any formal apologies.)  
  
"And the look on Amos' face was priceless!" added Peter, popping another chocolate frog into his mouth.  
  
"Yeah, but we know that the best part of the day was when I grabbed that club and got John Gordon back!" joked Sirius.  
  
They all exploded into a fit of laughter, where as Madame Pomphrey stormed into the room.  
  
"I thought I told you boys 5 minutes! Pretty soon I'm going to have to start treating you for all of the stomach pains your going to have!" she said, shooing them out of the room.  
  
"Bye mate!" yelled Sirius.  
  
James sat there, thinking of how lucky he was to have such great friends, when there was a light tapping at the door. Madame Pomphrey answered it, and Lily walked in. She went over to where James sat and stood there for a moment.  
  
After a little while she bent over and hugged him, giving James a big surprise, but it didn't take long for him to respond. (No, I'm not being dirty here people!)  
  
When she looked up her eyes were filled with tears, which began to stream down her face. She quickly wiped them away. James took her chin in his hand and held it up to his face.  
  
"Please don't cry. It just kills me to see you like that," he said.  
  
Lily looked into his big hazel eyes. Was it just her imagination, or were they getting closer. Not like she minded, he was so cute. And the way his hair was always messed up, his big muscles, those eyes.. Suddenly an alarm went off in her. "What am I doing?! I don't like Potter, I hate his guts! I have a boyfriend! O dear!" she thought. She jumped away, right before they kissed.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to say that I'm glad that you're ok. Hopefully you'll be up and about soon. But really, I've got to run. I got that, thing, to do. Bye!" she said quickly, stuttering and tripping over her own feet in her haste to get out of the room.  
  
"Bye," said James, a very confused look on his face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sigh. Another chapter complete, added to the millions of unimportant files on FanFiction. Anyways!! I just know you want to go write me a HUMUNGOUS review! And could you guys do me a favor? Tell your homies about me! Anybody you know that goes to FanFiction.net! Your friends, your enemies, your neighbors, your family, even your Great Uncle Ted! Thanx, you have NO idea how much I would appreciate it! And, as always, I shall return! 


	7. Grasshopper

Hola yet again! I know its been a while since I updated this, but I would  
rather update the stories that I actually get reviews on! But, ya know, I  
would update this one often too if you would just send me a nice little  
review! Or a large one... On with the story!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ch 7: Grasshoppers  
  
Soon James was better and was able to attend classes. He was greeted  
by the entire Gryffindor house in the Common Room on the night he was let  
out of the Hospital Wing. Since they had been unable to celebrate the  
night of the match they decided to throw the party that night. James  
walked in to find the room full of happy students drinking butterbeer and  
eating an assortment of tasty treats, including pumpkin pastries and  
walrus whoozies. He walked towards the stack of Fried Fangs but was  
immediately bombarded by his friends.  
  
"Hello Prongs! Care to join us in a few rounds of 'Pretty Kitty,' if you  
catch my drift," Sirius said with a wink, pointing to a group of giggling  
girls.  
  
"Um, no thanks," he replied, looking at the girls.  
  
Sirius looked at his friend strangely for a few moments, then said "Suite  
yourself," and walked away. James watched him sit down beside an  
exceptionally pretty girl and put his arm around her. He whispered  
something in her ear, and the girl laughed. Remus was having a  
conversation with another girl, who actually looked interested in his  
friend's intellectual lecture. Peter was the most evolved, and was in a  
corner snogging a girl that resembled a moose with fleas. He turned  
around and looked at the stack of fried fangs, which was steadily  
decreasing.  
  
He had finally reached the snack table when he saw Lily standing a few  
feet away from him. He picked up a plate and walked towards her end of  
the table.  
  
"Hey," he said casually.  
  
"Oh, hi," Lily said, "I didn't know you were out of the Hospital Wing  
already."  
  
"You don't think they would throw this party without their star seeker,  
do you?"  
  
"No I suppose not. What do you think these are," she said while pocking  
at a large fuzzy white ball.  
  
"Probably Pod Tarts. Supposedly they make your tongue fuzzy for a few  
minutes. Heard they can have some horrible effects though" Lily  
immediately put the pod tart back onto the platter and picked up a walrus  
whoozie instead.  
  
"So how's it going with you and Remus?" James asked.  
  
"Good. Couldn't be better." Said Lily, but for some reason James didn't  
think it sounded too convincing.  
  
"Well that's great."  
  
"What about you? How's the love life?"  
  
"Could be better."  
  
"You mean to say that the famous James Potter is girlfriend-less?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Don't you like somebody?"  
  
"Well..." but just at that moment Remus walked up behind Lily kissed her  
neck. For some reason Lily felt uncomfortable and pulled away.  
  
"Looked like you were having fun," she said, a little meaner than she had  
meant.  
  
"I'll just be leaving now," said James uneasily, and then walked away.  
  
"Oh Lily you know we were just talking!" said Remus.  
  
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."  
  
"Its ok. I understand."  
  
*  
  
James decided to talk to Sirius so he went over to him and disturbed  
his.... shall we say, fun.  
  
"What the hell do you want?" Sirius said, obviously a little aggravated  
that he had been taken away.  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
"Oh no, Jamesie, you aren't going to break up with me are you?" he said  
sarcastically.  
  
"This is serious! (No pun intended.)"  
  
"Ok, what is it. And can you make this kinda fast?"  
  
"Its about Lily and Remus."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Oh what?"  
  
"Just oh. Continue."  
  
"Well, what's happening between them? Have they been-"  
  
"Fighting a lot? Yeah. Ever since your accident. Its gotten quite vicious  
actually."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Do you think-"  
  
"We may never know."  
  
"Hmm... What am I gonna do?"  
  
"Patience, Grasshopper, your time shall come." And with that he went back  
to his unsightly pleasures, leaving James absolutely flabbergasted as to  
what to do.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I know this chappie was really short, but it looked like a good place to  
stop. I have a problem though: I don't know if in the next chapter I  
should continue the party or make it end. There's only one way for me to  
know. You review! I know it's just a ton of hard work, but at least then  
I would know how to write the next chapter for your enjoyment! So go  
ahead, review! Nobodies stopping ya! 


	8. Inside Out

Hola! Long time no update, I know, but I do have a good reason! My internet just got fixed. So no you can't hurt me! I feel a changing of the tides coming, so I have decided to change my sn (especially since HarryPotterRocksThinker is just a little on the lame side). Hopefully I'll use Silly&Sirius as long as it hasn't already been snagged. But anyways, I hope this chapter lives up to the others, you know I'm a little outta practice…

Chapter 8: Inside Out

The first thing James noticed the next morning was the blinding pain just above his right temple. He had celebrated his victory the night before by drinking so much alcohol it would have killed a wildebeest.

He opened his eyes to find a dim light piercing through the window and all of his roommates asleep. He crawled out of bed and into the bathroom. His reflection was even more terrible than it usually was in the morning; his hair was extra tousled-looking, his eyes were gummed up, and the entire left side of his face appeared to have been smeared with chocolate.

Following a quick wash-up, James quietly left the room and headed downstairs. After Sirius' conversation the night before, he had been completely at a loss. Lily and Remus hadn't even been with each other, but instead with their separate groups of friends. He had feuded with himself over whether to talk to Lily, go to bed, or get extremely drunk. He had, of course, chosen the last one.

He entered the Common Room to find it deserted. The clock on the wall read 5:11. "No wonder no one's up yet," James muttered to himself. He plopped down on one of the over-stuffed couches and stared at the glowing red ashes of the dwindling fire. The ashes slowly began molding into bright swirls as James thought over his situation. He felt completely different since the fall, almost as though the sudden impact had jolted him from his cloud and slammed him back to earth even harder mentally than physically. The selfishness that had once occupied all areas of his brain was now replaced by a type of equality, making him realize that he wasn't perfect, and obviously Lily didn't think he was either. But he still couldn't help liking her, possibly even more now than before.

As James sat there, thinking, Lily awoke. The few sunrays that peaked through the curtains landed on her face. The clock on her bedside table flashed 5:27. Sally and Candy were softly snoring in the beds beside hers. She got out of bed silently, brushed her teeth, went quietly downstairs and looked into the Common Room. A single shadow traced across the floor and up the wall. James' head poked up over the back of the couch. She could just see the side of his face. He looked… different, the way he looked on the night of the dance. A sudden feeling of desire filled all corners of her brain, but it was immediately squashed. "I have a boyfriend; a good boyfriend! Yeah we aren't doing that well right now, but so what, it's not like we won't make up! Well, maybe we won't, but what's it matter?! I STILL CAN'T LIKE POTTER!" she thought desperately. Her emotions overruled her thoughts and she walked over to the couch where James sat. His head snapped up as Lily came into his line of vision.

"Oh, hey, I didn't hear you come in," he said with a big yawn.

"You weren't asleep, were you?" questioned Lily.

"No, no, just thinking."

"About?"

"Stuff…"

"Oh."

A silence fell over the room as James resumed his staring into the fire. Lily sat down beside James and looked at him. Her eyes drifted over the gentle arch of his forehead, the depths of his eyes, the slope of his nose, his perfect lips, and over his chin. She sighed loudly and James looked at her.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Because… well…" Lily stuttered. She moved her face towards James'. Her lips touched his softly. Before she could kiss him, he pulled away.

"Lily," James groaned, cupping his face in his hands. Lily stared, flabbergasted, at James. Was this the James that had liked her since first year? The same James that used every pick-up line in the book on her? The same James that made a move on her at least once a week? And now he refused to kiss her?!!

"Lily," he said again. "Think about Remus Lily! You can't do that to him." James lifted up his head and stared into her eyes. "You just can't," he whispered.

He stood up and walked out of the portrait hole. If he had looked behind he would have seen a single tear drift down Lily's cheek.

tear Yeah, I know this was a very cheesy chappie, but I thought it sorta fit… I thought about making it longer, but I decided to stop here. I really hope you liked it and that I'm writing just as well now as before I left. So write me a review and tell me what you think!! Just cause I was gone for a while doesn't mean I don't remember that you're supposed to review! Ok, well, ill see ya next chapter!


	9. Very Slutty

Hello again! I know the last chappie was kinda weird but it's been a while, ya know? Hopefully this one will be much better, earning me many more reviews…

Ch.9: Very slutty

After James had left the Common Room Lily sat there, flabbergasted. She thought that this was surely the right thing to do. After all, Remus was being a bit of a prick lately. But her plan had failed utterly. Slowly, people began to filter into the room. Lily started to get frustrated. "Why does this kind of thing always happen to me?" she asked herself angrily. A little voice in the back of her head replied "James was only being a good friend, showing real loyalty. You were the one being a slut." Lily sighed and looked behind her. Remus was just entering the Common Room still looking very sleepy. She jumped up and ran over to him.

"Morning hun," she said, laying him with a big wet kiss.

"Good morning to you too" Remus replied, grinning. "What was all that about?"

"I know that things haven't been going that smoothly lately, but I'm ready to put that all behind us. What do you say?"

"As long as I get more kisses like that,"

James walked towards the kitchens, shrugging off the butterflies that were still flying around in his stomach. He felt slightly proud of himself that he had pushed away the girl of his dreams, although his body didn't feel quite the same way. Of course he felt a bit bad for Lily, too. I mean, she had been ready to give up Remus for him, even if it was a bit slutty. But the kitchens were the perfect place for him to go when he was feeling rotten; the house elves always made him laugh, and that Toby sure does make a mean treacle tart.

Sally and Candy stared at Lily. She was acting very strangely. Gone was the Lily who flinched every time her skin rubbed against Remus', who was always making up excuses as to why she couldn't go somewhere with Remus, who never, never showed PDA. Here, instead, was a new, sluttier Lily.

Candy grimaced as Lily licked Remus' finger clean. "Really, Lily, is that necessary?" she asked.

Lily looked at her and kissed Remus on the check before replying. "I suppose its time for Charms anyways. Bye Sugar."

As they walked out into the corridor Sally whispered loudly "Hello, Miss Virgin-no-more!"

Lily stopped abruptly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Yes, Lily dear, you made it that obvious."

"It couldn't have been that obvious if I didn't even notice!"

"Jesus, Lily, you mean you didn't?!"

"Of course not! I would've told you guys!"

"I swear every person in that lunch room thinks that you did."

"Was it really that bad?" Lily asked, smiling weakly.

Her two friends nodded their heads. She sighed and told them about the events of the morning.

"That was pretty darn slutty," Sally said when Lily was done with her story.

"But totally un-James like," added Candy.

"Tell me about it. I don't know, I was just trying to strike things back up with Remus, you know? That's why I was acting so weird this morning."

"And to make James jealous?" questioned Sally.

"No! Of course not! Well, maybe a teensy-weensy bit… But I really didn't mean to."

"We understand."

James walked into Charms and sat down beside Remus. "I see you got some serious action this morning."

"I'm guessing it wasn't as much as last night!" Sirius said, grinning widely.

"What?! No, no, no. That's not how it was. I don't know, that's just how she started acting this morning." Remus replied hastily.

"Slutty…. That's so hot!" Sirius exclaimed.

Remus rolled his eyes as Professor Flitwick began the lesson.

Lily said goodbye to her friends as she headed towards her dormitory. "I'll see you in the Great Hall in 10 minutes." She walked up the Great Staircase, took a left, a right, another left, her feet retracing the regular steps while her brain was on other things. Suddenly she felt a tight grip on her arm and she was pulled into a small closet.

"Who-" Lily began before a hand was put over her mouth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" James voice whispered.

"I just-" Lily felt a bit wobbly at the knees. Since when did James' voice have that effect on her?

"Damnit Lily! Do you know what you are doing?! I mean, what's he supposed to think?! You rejecting him one day, and the next you're practically sucking his dick!"

It couldn't have been for long. A few weeks ago being this close to James would have made her sick to her stomach. Her heart began to beat faster.

"You can love up on him all you want, Evans, but don't do it like that again. You made yourself look like a slut. And you sure as hell didn't make him look good either."

His warm breath tickled her neck. She gulped up a big cloud of air and replied "I just don't know James. After this morning I-"

"This morning was nothing. Absolutely nothing. And it certainly shouldn't have had any effect on what you did today."

Oh if only he would touch her, she was sure he would understand how she was feeling.

"I just wanted to show him that I still liked him," she replied weakly.

James sighed loudly and leaned his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes tightly; he couldn't look at her. He was already overwhelmed by her without having to look at her. But it was for the best. For his friendship. He opened his eyes and pushed the door until he could see the hall. A tiny sliver of light leaked into the closet.

"Coast clear," he said, opening the door wider. Lily stumbled out.

"Remember what I said Evans." He lowered his voice and added softly "It really is for the best"

Oh, the drama! I decided I definitely like it when other people's chapters are long, so I decide to make mine long! I think that since I don't update that often, it should at least be worthwhile for you guys when I do! Anyways, I hope you liked it! Or, if you are more inclined to review when it sucks then, then I hope you think it sucks! Here's a little trivia for ya: How many times did I say slut in this chapter? Whoever answers correctly gets a special part in my next chappie! (Clues: No the chapter title doesn't count, but yes, words like "slutty" and "sluttier" do.)

A message to GlitterGreen: I didn't use 'nailed' once! HA!


	10. Present Hunting

O dear only one review on the last chapter. And I even offered you a special treat! So here is the special treat for the one person who reviewed.

Glittergreen

You smell like refried beans

But that's ok

You reviewed anyways

Thank you so much

Now I must go eat my lunch

Now you guys all know why I write fiction and not poetry! I'm just going to finish this story within the next few chapters. I'm getting tired of writing it, it's starting to suck, not that many people like it, and I won't let myself start another story until I'm finished with this one. So unless any of you have complaints, (which I doubt you do) then I'm only going to update a few more times.

Ch. 10: Present Hunting

Lily had returned back to normal the day after her talk with James. She and Remus were close again, just like when they had originally gone out. She rarely talked to James, but when she did it was rushed but friendly.

The holidays were quickly approaching and the grounds were filled with snow. The classrooms were cold, and with the holidays soon to come, the classes seemed to go by slower and slower.

"Are you going home for Christmas?" Remus asked Lily one night.

"No, I'm staying here. My parents are going to Petunia and Vernon's house, which is the place I would least like to be on Christmas Day."

"I'm sorry."

"No, that's all right. What about you?"

"I'm going home. Are Candy and Sally staying here?"

"No, they're both going home."

"So it look's like it's just you and James."

"Oh goody."

"He's really not that bad."

Lily arched her eyebrow and looked at Remus.

"Well, he's not. Sure you guys haven't gotten along at times, but he's your only company."

Lily sighed and layed her head on Remus' shoulder. "I suppose your right."

"What do you want for Christmas, anyways?" Remus asked.

"I'll be happy with anything you give me," Lily answered. "What about you?"

"A wonderful girlfriend. Oh wait, I already have one."

Lily looked up at him and smiled. "You're so cheesy."

"But you love me for it."

Lily's expression changed to worry. "You don't look so good. Are you feeling alright?"

Remus smiled weakly. "I'm fine." He kissed her lightly on the forehead and laid her head back on his shoulder.

The next morning Lily awoke to hear her friends already bustling.

"Strange to see you alive this early," Lily commented.

Candy rolled her eyes and said "Hogsmeade!"

Today was the final Hogsmeade trip before Christmas break. The next day they would all be shipped off back home, Christmas presents in tow. Lily and Remus had arranged to meet that evening in the Astronomy Tower to exchange gifts.

"You're shopping with us today, right?" asked Sally.

"Yup!" Lily replied.

The three girls entered Hogsmeade and looked about themselves.

"Where to first?" Candy questioned.

"Well I need to get a present for Remus…" Lily said.

"I haven't gotten any of you guy's presents yet." Sally added.

"We could split up and meet for lunch," Candy suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Sally agreed.

"How's 2:00 sound?" asked Lily.

"See you then!" Candy said.

With a quick wave, Lily and her friends each went their separate ways. Lily wandered the streets, wondering what she should get Remus. She went into stores, but didn't manage to find anything. She came upon the Three Broomsticks, and went to open the door. Just as she reached for the handle, it swung open and hit her directly on the nose.

"Ouch!" she yelled, covering her nose in pain.

"Oh Lily I'm so sorry!" said a voice directly in front of her. She looked up to see James, hovering above her. He took her arm and guided her over to a nearby bench.

"Are you ok?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"Mmmahh…" Lily mumbled as James tried to pry her hand away from her nose.

Finally succeeding, James looked at her nose sympathetically. A small trickle of blood dribbled onto her lip. "It's broken, alright."

Lily groaned and leaned back against the bench.

"Not to worry, I've broken mine plenty of times. I can fix it in a jiffy," he said.

Before Lily could protest, James flicked his wand and muttered a spell. Her nose was changed back to its normal shape. He transfigured a nearby leaf into a tissue and gently wiped the blood from her nose and lip.

"Better?" he asked.

Lily nodded her head and said "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. If it weren't for me you wouldn't have needed it anyways."

Lily stood up. "I was just looking for a Christmas present for Remus. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what to get him. Do you think maybe you could help me? If you don't have any other plans, I mean."

"Sure. I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Great. Just let me go tell Candy and Sally that I'll have to cancel lunch."

So off they went. They walked up and down the streets, talking about what Remus might like, mid-year exams, quidditch, and other small talk.

James dragged Lily into the joke shop. Laughing, they tried on all the hats in the back corner of the store. James bought several dung bombs ("Just in case.") and they left the store.

As they walked further down the street, the alleys got wider and the stores were more widely spaced. Coming upon an antique shop, Lily decided they might as well look in there for a present.

A small bell tinkled as they entered. The musty smell of old furniture met their nostrils, and a large amount of dust caused James to have a fit of sneezes. Finally recovering, Lily pulled him deeper into the store.

"Oh, look at that," she said admirably. She ran her fingers across the large green gem that dangled at the end of a silver chain.

"Sorry, Lily, but I don't think that fits Remus' taste," James said jokingly.

Lily hit him lightly on the shoulder and gazed longingly at the necklace.

A voice behind them caused Lily to jump, and James put a protective hand on her shoulder.

"Dragon mail and emeralds that is," said the old woman.

"It's beautiful," Lily stuttered.

"And guaranteed to never rust, tangle, or break. And may I say it matches your eyes perfectly. Maybe your boue here can get it for you as a Christmas gift." she said with a wink at James.

"Oh, no, we're just friends," Lily said as James took his hand off her shoulder.

"Right," the old woman said with a knowing nod, and she shuffled off.

Lily continued looking through the store. James lagged behind, looking at old quidditch memorabilia. Finally she found the perfect gift.

"Come look at this," she called to James.

He walked over and gazed at the thing she held in her hand. It was a gold pocket watch. A wand with tiny initials was carved onto the front. Lily flicked it open to reveal a complicated array of dials. One was obviously the time, and another a moon cycle, but the others all looked like nonsense to her.

Just then the old woman approached them. "That's a very good find. Originally made for a werewolf. Anything he could possibly need, supposedly."

"Look at that, it's a full moon tonight," Lily said.

A look of mounting horror arose on James' face. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost 5:30," the old woman answered.

"I have to go," he said while walking towards the door.

"What about the present hunting for Remus?" Lily questioned.

"He'll love that. I promise. Probably comes in very handy," James said, and he ran out the door.

Lily looked at the old woman and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'll take it then."

I decided that after this there are going to be two chapters. I was going to make it one more, but then I made this chapter longer than I expected. I would love some reviews! You're running out of chances, ya know. Thanks!


	11. Worry

Hola my peeps! Thanks so much to comedy gal and Steelo sooo much for reviewing! You made my week! Only two chapters left! I'm not gonna waste time on this A/N, so get reading!

Ch. 11: Worry

After James had left the little shop, Lily bought the watch and wandered back to the castle. As she walked her mind drifted to James. 'Why in the world had he ran off like that?' she wondered to herself.

Her thoughts changed to Remus and that night. He was planning a romantic dinner for her, and she could only hope that he would love his present. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she thought over what else she was planning to do that night. Lily had finally decided it was time for her to bid farewell to her virginity. She was responsible enough, and she really did think Remus was the right person for her first. Plus, she had learned every birth-control spell under the sun. Even though she knew she was safe, she was still scared at the thought of what was going to happen.

Lily went straight up to her dorm and into the shower. Her chilled fingers quickly grew warm under the hot water. Her brain moved from Remus back to James. She found herself thinking over the night of the Halloween dance. She began wondering if Remus hadn't been there that night what would have happened between her and James. This lead to thoughts of her losing her virginity to James instead of Remus. She shivered and pushed the thought out of her head. Only one thought remained in her head; had her shiver been out of disgust or lust?

Lily finished her shower and wrapped a towel about herself. She dried her long hair and applied what little make-up she actually wore. She walked into the dorm and found her two best friends sitting on her bed. Lily gave them a puzzled look. They were supposed to be eating dinner right now, and Candy was not one to miss dinner.

"What's up?" she asked them.

"We decided we should give you your present now," Sally answered.

"Oh," Lily said. "Just hold on a minute." She threw on a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie and rummaged in her closet for her friends' presents. Finally finding the neatly wrapped parcels, Lily joined her friends on the bed.

Sally 'ooed' and Candy 'awwed' as they unwrapped their presents. When Lily's turn came, they pulled out a box from behind them and presented it to her.

"We found this, and we just knew we had to get it for you," Candy said.

Lily opened the box to find a small black halter dress. The strap was connected to the dress with a large emerald, matching the color of her eyes. She gaped at the dress, then at her two friends. She knew the dress had cost too much for their small allowances, and she was amazed that they would do such a thing for her. Over come by joy, she flung her arms around them and hugged them tightly.

They each emerged from the hug with tears in their eyes. "Get a move on," Sally said. "You're gonna be late."

Lily went into the bathroom and put on the beautiful dress. It hugged her curves in all the right places, but still managed to make her look elegant. She let her wavy hair hang about her shoulders and put a spritz of her perfume on. Strapping on a pair of black heels, she looked at herself in the mirror. 'Acceptable,' she said to her reflection.

As Lily emerged, she heard her friends gasp. "Wow, you look amazing," Candy said.

Lily blushed and hugged them both. "Thanks again."

Lily left her friends and headed towards the astronomy tower. It was already 9:00, meaning she would be late. She quickened her pace and reached the Astronomy Tower at 9:11, 11 minutes after their agreed time.

She walked onto the roof and opened her mouth to begin her apology. Surprised, she looked around to see that Remus wasn't even there. There wasn't a single sign of him. No candle lit dinner, no romantic music, not even a note. Not that Lily had been expecting roses and a bed, but this really was a bit disappointing.

Lily sat down on the hard floor and gazed at the stars. She thought over her situation for a half an hour before realizing it was much too cold to be waiting in the cold air, even if it was a little warmer than usual and she did have on a light jacket.

She walked slowly back to Gryffindor Tower, getting more sad with every step. She had really looking forward to that night, and then Remus hadn't even showed up. She began to get mad at Remus, when she thought of something much worse. What if he wasn't okay? After all, she hadn't seen him since breakfast.

Lily entered the half deserted Common Room and sat on a couch. She would stay here until dawn, and if Remus still wasn't back, she would go tell Professor Dumbledore.

Lily stood by her word and stayed in the Common Room all night. She kept herself awake by reading out of _Hogwarts, A History_ and only dozed of once. As dawn approached, she became increasingly worried. The first ray of sunlight poked through the window, and she stood up. She wasn't event tired anymore; her entire mind was preoccupied with being worried. Lily turned to the portrait and thought through her plan one last time before walking through it.

She jumped when the portrait swung open by itself, revealing none other than Remus. Lily stood there, dumbfounded, for what seemed like minutes. She was going to collapse into his arms, but decided against it. Her temper began to show itself as her look turned into a glare. "Where the hell were you all night?" she snapped.

Lily didn't notice how weary Remus looked, nor the three faces that had nearly appeared behind him. "I-," he began. He discovered he couldn't explain himself, and looked at the floor instead.

"You had me worried out of my mind! I had no idea where you were! I thought you might be dead, but instead you were probably out gallivanting with some girl!"

Remus' head shot up at this remark. "You're the one thinking I was cheating on you? I'm sorry but, you've got that completely backwards."

"I'm not the one who stayed out all night," Lily pointed out.

"I saw what you were doing yesterday! You were all over James all day. What, you thought I wouldn't notice? Well I sure as hell did, Lily! I can see it in your eyes, the way you look at James—you still want him."

Lily's face reddened with anger. "You are a real ass, Remus, you know that? You put up this big façade that you're the real thing, Mr. Nice Guy, but really you're no better than anybody else. And I hate you for it." Lily turned on her heel and walked away. Remus grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She glared into his eyes and he let go. There was no use in trying to soften her anger; she just wanted to be mad.

Lily stormed up the stairs and into her dorm. She quietly took off her dress and climbed into her bed. She cried herself to sleep, not because what Remus said was a lie, but because she knew that what he said was true.

Wow that's the first time I've ever written an entire chapter in one sitting. Slightly short, but lots of drama to make up for it. Please please please please please review! Thanks!


	12. Endings and Beginnings

Now that I finally start getting some reviews for this things it's time for me to finish it! But I thank all of the kind reviewers! This chapter will probably be really cheesy, but what do you expect at the end of a story? For the last time, enjoy!

Ch. 12: Endings and Beginnings

The next morning Lily emerged just in time to say goodbye to her friends. Not wanting to confront Remus, she stayed in her room until she knew everyone was gone. Her dorm was quiet and slightly eerie. She was so used to the company of her friends that the silence was almost disturbing. She opened up the window at the end of the room and breathed in the cold winter air.

As Lily stood looking out the window, her mind drifted to Remus. It hurt her to admit it, but he was right. She did still have a thing for James. But wasn't her thing for Remus bigger? She had thought she loved him; hell, she was ready to give him her most valued possession, her virginity. What Remus had said had really sent her head spinning. What in the world was she going to do?

Lily felt her stomach grumble. "At least I know what I can do for the time being," Lily mumbled to herself. She threw on a pair of jeans and her snuggliest hoodie and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

As se took her seat in the empty hall, she felt someone walk in. She turned to see it was James. He noticed Lily, flashed her a quick smile and headed her way.

"Looks like it's just us two in the whole house, Lillers," he said as he sat down beside her. He immediately began piling food onto his plate.

"I guess," Lily answered.

"Don't be so enthusiastic, you might burst an artery," James said.

"Sorry, I'm just tired," Lily said, trying to go avoid the subject of Remus.

"Yeah, you were up pretty late last night," James agreed.

"How did you know that I was up late?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"Um," James shoved another bite of food into his mouth, trying to think of a suitable answer. "Remus told me," he finally said once he had swallowed his food.

"Did he say anything else?" Lily asked.

James looked at her and said "He said you guys got in a pretty big fight. He thinks you can't stand him now."

"That's not too far from the truth," Lily said quietly.

"I thought you guys were doing pretty well," James said.

"So did I," Lily answered simply.

"Well, I'm sure everything will work out all right in the end," James finished, trying to make the mood lighter. "There's supposed to be a snow storm this afternoon. Looks like we're going to have a white Christmas."

Lily smiled. If there was one thing she loved, it was snow.

"Maybe we can make a snowman or something," James continued.

"Sounds like fun," Lily said, sounding happy for the first time all morning.

The two finished their breakfast in silence and began walking back towards the Common Room. Once they got there they each began doing their homework around the warm fire.

A few hours later, Lily had finally finished her potions essay and written out her moon chart for astronomy. She looked out one of the large windows to see big, fat snowflakes floating down. "Look!" she exclaimed.

James joined her as she walked to the window and gazed outside. The ground was already covered in a fine white dust. Lily craned her neck, and was able to see the lake, where a few pieces of ice lay on its surface. "We'll be able to go ice skating tomorrow if it stays this cold," she said.

"It doesn't look like we're going to be doing anything out there today though," James pointed out. The sun was already beginning to set in the sky. "I'm starved, we didn't even have lunch," he added.

Lily awoke the next morning to find the grounds covered in a thick blanket of snow. She dressed in her warmest clothes and trundled down the stairs. James was already waiting for her on one of the couches, also wrapped in warm clothes.

They ate a hurried breakfast and went outside. A few small flakes were still falling from the steel gray sky. The little white speckles began depositing themselves in Lily's hair, but she didn't mind. James shook his head violently, trying to get the snow out. Lily laughed at him and said "It won't hurt you, you know."

"That's easy enough for you to say, you have all that hair to keep you warm. But with me it's a little bit of black fuzz and all the wonderful snowflakes float right down through my hair and onto my head. It makes me quite cold, actually."

Lily bent down and picked up a ball of snow. "So, if I put this in your hair, it would cause you much discomfort, right?"

"That's correct."

"Oh goody," Lily said, and threw the bell right at his head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," James growled. He picked up and huge ball of snow and hit Lily with it. From that point on it was war.

The game ended with James tackling Lily and them both getting covered in snow. They lay together on the ground and tried to recover from their hysterics. Once they had finally calmed down, they realized they were in a very awkward position. When James had tackled Lily, he had landed on her, and not much had changed, other than that he was holding himself up on his arms so as not to squish Lily. Their ragged breath intermingled and Lily felt a warm fuzzy feeling growing up from her toes and ending in the top of her head.

"Oy," someone yelled across the grounds, interrupting their 'magical moment.' It was Professor Sprout, and she made her way over to them as fast as her legs could carry her. James stood up and extended his hand to Lily. She grabbed it and he helped her out of the snow. "I was wondering if maybe you two would mind not killing my Dragwelks?" the professor said, pointing to a small patch of scrunched looking flowers that they had obviously been lying on.

"Sorry professor," Lily and James said.

"It's quite alright," Professor Sprout said, bending over her mangled flowers. "Be off with you now. The lake is in pretty good condition for skating, you know."

Lily and James took her advice and headed towards the lake. They walked together in silence. James' hand brushed Lily's and he gasped. "Jeez, your hands are frozen!"

"Well, it is snowing," Lily pointed out.

James stopped walking and cupped Lily's hand in his. "I swear, you're going to catch pneumonia," he said as he began rubbing her hands.

"You sound like my mother," Lily joked. Once James was done, her hands were nice and warm. "Thank you," she said, smiling at his simple act of kindness.

James shrugged his shoulders and said "It was nothing."

They reached the lake and found that neither of them had ice skates with them. James somehow managed to transfigure four twigs into two pairs of skates.

Lily walked out onto the slippery ice and began gliding around. "Come on," she called to James. He was standing at the edge of the lake and didn't look as though he was too keen to get on the ice. Lily skated over to him. "Come on," she said again, dragging him onto the ice. As soon as his second foot touched the ice, James fell.

Lily broke into laughter, and was soon joined by James. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea," he said as he tried to get up.

"Nonsense, I'll teach you," Lily said, pulling him to his feet.

Lily tried to teach James the art of ice skating, but he kept falling on his butt. "The graceful and oh so talented James Potter can't even ice skate," Lily said when James fell yet again.

James was now determined to learn, and within a half an hour he could skate without Lily's help. He stuck his tongue out at her as he glided past. "I oughta trip you," she said.

Once they had grown tired of ice skating, they built a lop-sided snowman that James insisted looked like Dumbledore. They went inside and ate a late lunch, then spent the rest of the day lounging around the Common Room and playing chess.

On Christmas morning Lily woke to find an a few presents sitting on the end of her bed. Not wanting to open them by herself, she carried them downstairs and put them on a chair. She then went up the stairs to James' dormitory.

As quietly as possible she opened up the door and looked inside. She could see James lying on his bed in nothing but his boxers, his rippled stomach glowing in the pale morning light. She ignored this and began shaking him awake. "Merry Christmas, sleepyhead!" she whispered when James opened his eyes.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"8:30," Lily replied.

James groaned and turned onto his side. "No, no, no, you're coming to open your presents with me in the Common Room," Lily said, trying to turn him back over. "I expect you down there in five minutes." And with that Lily left the room.

Just as she had ordered, James joined her in the Common Room five minutes later, laden with presents. Dressed as he had been, he laid all of his presents next to Lily's and joined her on the floor. "Who goes first?" he asked.

"You, because you have more than me," Lily answered.

In twenty minutes, they had opened all of their presents except one. A small box still lay on the couch. James picked it up and handed it to Lily. "This is to you, from me," he said.

"But you already gave me that book on wizarding landmarks in muggle society," Lily pointed out.

"This is a different kind of present," James said mischievously.

Lily looked at him, puzzled, and began unwrapping the present. She opened the box to find the necklace she had seen in the antiques store. "Oh, James," she whispered, lifting the jewelry from the box.

"Turn around," James said. He slipped the necklace around her neck and did the clasp at the back.

"It must have cost a fortune," Lily said quietly, fingering the large green gem.

"It was worth it; anything is worth it to see you happy," James answered.

Their eyes locked, and at that moment Lily wanted nothing more than to kiss James, and she could see that he felt the same way too. But neither of them could do that to Remus.

James looked down and said "Well, I better go get dressed."

"Yeah, me too," Lily agreed, looking down at her pajamas.

Lily climbed the stairs to her dorm and walked into her closet. She put on her clothes and sat down on her bed. She jumped when she heard a knocking sound to her right. She looked up to see a large gray owl at her window; Remus' owl.

Lily walked over to the window and let the bird in. She untied the letter and small parcel from his leg and gave the owl some bread crumbs. She opened the letter and began to read.

_Dearest Lily,_

_You have no idea how sorry I am for fighting with you that night. I only hope that someday you may forgive me. I have mulled over our situation in my days here and have decided that it is best if you and I break it off. Thank you and James so much for holding off your obvious feelings for each other to keep me happy. I will always remember the sacrifice that you two made for me. I hope that you are as happy together as I always wanted us to be. I'll always love you Lily. _

_Love,_

_Remus_

_P.S. I'm also mailing your present. Merry Christmas!_

Lily read the letter again in disbelief. She opened the gift and found a ring, made to look like tiny intertwining silver flowers and vines. She slipped it onto her finger and felt it magically transform to fit her perfectly. Lily read over the letter again and smiled. Instead of feeling sorrow, the usual result of a break up, she was happy. So happy she felt she was going to burst.

She rushed down the stairs and into the Common Room. James stood up from his chair and looked at her happy face. Before he could say a word, she kissed him. Few kisses in this world have ever been classified as a kiss of true love. Only the kisses that come straight from the heart, that have been anticipated for long periods of time, that are all those people could possibly want at that point in time, can be called kisses of true love. And this was one of them.

**The End**


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